With destination weddings becoming more popular, couples are hosting several events the weekend of their wedding!

Here’s a fun idea for the wedding party & families to do before the wedding day! Host a pre-wedding Field Day! Go up to your nearest park or your backyard, set up obstacle courses, races, and games. Split everyone up into teams and have a little friendly competition! This is a great way for everyone to get acquainted with each other while, creating many fun and exciting memories.

Here are just a few ideas that a couples can do for their pre-wedding Field Day! There are some many game options the possibilities are endless!

Have a water balloon toss
Pair up the wedding party. Fill the balloons with water and hand one to each pair. Line up one partner about 10 feet and the other partner on the other side. Count down and then the partners will throw their balloons to their partners. The pairs that balloon break will be out, but the pairs whose balloon made it through the first toss will back up a couple feet and repeat the toss. Keep tossing and backing up until the last pair whose balloon did not break.

Sack Race
Match up in either pairs or teams. Get burlap sacks and hand them out. Race from one end, to the other. If there are teams then keep racing back and forth until all your members have gone back and forth.

Outdoor twister
Paint a twister mat on the grass and play twister outside!

Bean Bag Toss (a.k.a. Cornhole)The game can be played with singles or doubles. When playing singles, each player throws at the same board. These two opposing players battle by throwing four bags alternating after every bag to complete a round. After each round, the players go to the other side and throw. When playing doubles, each player’s partner is directly across from them competing against the other team’s partner.
 > Earning Points - To earn points, you must outscore your opponent for the round. The difference in score is your earned points. Points are scored by throwing the bag:
    - On the board - 1pt
    - In the hole - 3pt
    - In the slot - 5pt 
 > The player/team that earns points in one round goes first for the next round. 
 > The player/team to earn at least 21pts by the end of a round wins the game. If there is a tie, another round is played until the tie is broken.
 > Dead Bags - Bags can not touch the ground. If a bag hits the ground and then rolls onto the board, that bag is dead and may be removed. 
 > Skunk - If a player/team is winning at least 13pts to 0pts by the end of the round then that team wins the game. This rule is intended for casual play and not tournaments. 
 > Set and Match- A set is the best of three games. A match is the best of any number of sets (generally 3, 5 or 7).

Add a personal touch and DIY your own boards! Click here for easy instructions. 

Make sure you get some gift bags or trophies for the winners!!! Don't forget to provide food and water to keep everyone hydrated!

Have fun!

Happy Planning!
Mindy

                 Wedding cake alternatives

Wedding cakes can be plain and boring, so why not mix it up and choose a different kind of wedding “cake”!

Here’s an idea of creating a donut cake. This option allows couples to create a one-of-a-kind cake while catering to the flavors that everyone likes. If not all the flavors of donuts are in the “cake”, the bride and groom can incorporate a donut table! Just ask your local donut bakery if they can supply the desired amount of donuts. Another bonus of creating a donut cake is when buying a certain amount of donuts, the bakery will throw in some for free! Just make sure, when you are hunting for the donuts for your  “cake”, find a local baker near you and have a testing day, where you can taste all the different kinds of donuts they offer. Sounds like a fun afternoon to me!!

Being creative with your wedding desserts is a sure way to keep your guests talking about your wedding for years to come!!

Happy Planning!
Mindy

   What’s the difference between a Wedding Planner and an On-Site Coordinator?

It is becoming the industry standard for most wedding venues to have an on-site coordinator as part of their staff and to include them in their wedding packages. On-Site Coordinators are great sources for the venues they represent, but they aren’t available to help with things outside of that.  Since venues are including a coordinator in their packages, it’s getting more and more typical to hear the phrase “but the coordinator at my venue says I don’t need a wedding planner!”  Red flag!  If your on-site coordinator is telling you don’t need a wedding planner it may mean that they don’t want an expert looking out for your best interests!  There are a few huge differences between an on-site coordinator and a wedding planner; very important differences.  We’ll discuss a few of them and lift the mystery here.
 
Who is the boss?
The first distinction to be made is whom the coordinator works for vs. whom the planner works for. 

A wedding planner is hired by the couple to fulfill their vision for their wedding in its entirety.  They build a relationship with the couple and assist with such elements to planning a wedding such as budget structure, style questions, etiquette, scheduling, as well as a plethora of other things.

An on-site coordinator is the liaison and sales person for the venue at which the wedding is taking place.  They assist the couple with questions relating directly to the venue and the elements of the wedding that are specifically intertwined with their venue.  Unlike a wedding planner, they don’t contribute to the planning process outside of their specific location.  A couple might not even hear from the on-site coordinator until a short time before their wedding.

A wedding planner will see to it that every single detail of the wedding is in place throughout the planning process, all the way until the last vendor has packed up their goods.  An on-site coordinator sees to it that the venue is prepared to accommodate your wedding, however if the venue has multiple weddings taking place that day {as is fairly typical} they may not be available the day of your wedding to answer specific questions like an independent wedding planner would be.

Who do they know?
The second distinction to be made is the vendors that each person chooses to work with.  Generally, a venue has a preferred vendors list that they direct couples towards.  This list can include everyone from photographers to parking attendants.  However, vendors can pay to be on this list {and often do}, or this list is simply comprised of vendors that the venue has previous contracts with, thus eliminating tons of qualified vendors. 

A wedding planner maintains relationships with a multitude of vendors and makes it a point to match couples with a vendor that meets their needs style-wise, budget-wise, and perhaps most importantly, personality-wise.  They know which photographer’s style will mesh with their couple’s vision for their forever photos. Or which baker will produce the couple’s dream desserts.

Wedding professionals frequently collaborate on projects other than weddings such as styled shoots or charity events and it gives planners an idea of what each vendor can bring to the table, independent of a wedding.  They don’t have a specific list that is strictly based on a vendor’s work at one location; they spend hours scouring portfolios and building relationships with vendors to match each couple with the perfect vendor to meet their needs.

The day of!
The big day has finally arrived.  The day of the wedding the wedding planner’s main focus is on the couple.  Their responsibilities include knowing the schedules of the bridal party and family, setting up for the ceremony and reception as well as tending to all of the little details of the special day.  For the on-site coordinator, ‘the day of’ is about the performance of their venue and often times this can mean juggling multiple weddings on the same day.  It is also entirely possible that the coordinator that may have done the tour of the venue or the food tasting is not the coordinator that is present the day of the your wedding.

The wedding planner will remain throughout your entire event from the time the linens are delivered to your venue all the way until the last guest leaves.  Oftentimes, making multiple trips back to the venue in the days following to make sure all the vendors have received their materials back to fulfill your contracts.  The on-site coordinator will sometimes check in with you but might leave before your event is over, leaving you responsible for coordinating with your vendors post-wedding.

In a perfect world:
Every couple would have a wedding planner to work with and every wedding planner would have an onsite coordinator to collaborate with.  An independent planner knows the needs of the couple and an on-site coordinator knows the ins and outs of the venue {they see it every single day!}  Working together they have the ability to bring the needs of the couple and the amenities of the venue together to create a perfect day.  Knowing the differences between these two wedding professionals and what to expect from each of them will certainly make for a smoother planning process for each couple.

Happy Planning!
Mindy